Google is developing a new computer interface inspired by technology seen in Star Trek, which could offer a more sophisticated alternative to Apple's Siri software.

Google is developing a new computer interface inspired by technology seen in Star Trek, which could offer a more sophisticated alternative to Apple's Siri software.

The jack of all trades company is working on what it called “ubiquitous computing,” similar to the gadgets seen in Star Trek, which respond to user commands and questions.

On the surface it might sound a lot like the personal assistant software Siri, but the key difference is that Google wants to push things beyond smartphones, so that users can simply ask a question at home and the answer will display on their Google Glasses screen, TV display, or even on a screen built into their refrigerator.

“Why should someone stop their conversation because they're missing a tiny piece of information that you need to take that conversation further?” said Amit Singhal, VP and Senior Engineer of Search at Google. “You have to pull out your phone. You have to unlock the phone. You have to type. Already you have lost valuable seconds and the conversation has become unnatural and awkward.”

He predicts that within three to five years we will have “a Star Trek assistant” and that Google has built “baby steps” towards this reality. The company has been working hard on its Glasses project for many months, which will effectively be a smartphone built into a pair of glasses that can display content, make calls via voice commands, and present a more engaging computer experience without taking the user out of the everyday world. Building on this so that users are communicating with computers throughout their home or office will be a major step in computing and might bring science-fiction that bit closer to fact.

The problem for such gadgets, and for Siri and its software rivals, is that computers often have a hard time understanding human commands, especially when they are phrased in a colloquial way or with an accent. Until this is addressed widespread adoption of such technology will always be a challenge.